52

HISTORY OF

[GENERAL remarks.

j

1

in regard to tlie Medals, and I concur entirely with you regarding all theimprovements you propose on the subject. You have provided a remedy for adifficulty which I could never get over in a way at all satisfactory to myself. Ilikewise agree with you in the propriety of having a Cross with eight bars, or aStar with eight points, for those who are entitled to more than seven distinctions.I am not certain that it would not be best that all General Officers, as well asothers, should wear the Medal, or the Cross, at the button-hole, till they shouldreceive the last distinction. It is very awkward to ride in round the neck.” 4The proposed Cross for eight or more Battles was rendered unnecessary bythe fact, that the Duke of Wellington is the only Officer who has received aDistinction for more than seven Actions.

Respecting the manner in which General Officers should wear their Medals,the Duke wrote to Earl Bathurst on the 20th of April 1813: “ We must havethe orders of the Secretary of State for any alteration in the mode of wearingthe Medal by the General Officers. It may do very well for an Admiral towear his Medal round his neck on his quarter-deck, but we on horseback oughtto wear it always at our button-hole. Indeed, this is the common practice inall distributions of this description, and was the rule at first on the grant of theMedal for the Battle of Maida; and I do not know why it was altered.” 5

The principle upon which the Duke of Wellington recommended Officersfor Medals, is still more fully elucidated by the following letters to Marshal,now Viscount Beresford, and to Lieutenant-General Sir Stapleton Cotton, nowViscount Combermere:

“ TO MARSHAL SIR W. C. BERESFORD, K.B.

“ Vera, 6th November 1813.

“ In regard to the Medals, I have always been of opinion, that Governmentshould have extended the principle more than they did; and in executing theirorders, I believe it will be found, that whenever a Medal could be given to anindividual, under the orders of Government, I have inserted his name in thereturn. However, my decision on this, or any other subject is not final; and ifany body doubts, I wish he would apply to superior authority.

“ I have not with me the papers of the year 1812, and I write upon the

4 Dispatches of the Duke of Wellington, vol. X. p. 199.

5 Ibid. p. 307.